Nguyen Trinh Thi's documentary touches on Vietnam's Dao Mau religion, also known as the Mother Goddess faith, focusing in particular on its unique clergy, who call themselves mediums since they channel the various spirits and deities who serve as the foundation of the faith. According to this film, a very large number of mediums are effeminate gay men who dress up in elaborate female ritual clothing to perform their duties (often while smoking cigarettes!). Love Man Love Woman, which effectively dissects Vietnam's attitudes towards its gay community, interviews mediums who claim that no other place exists for them in homophobic Vietnamese society. While exposure to Western ideals have emboldened some gay men to be more open about their lifestyle, others feel required to remain discreet. In any case, emotional scars from societal hostility toward gays is still evident (one man bitterly refers to his homosexuality as “Heaven's punishment”). Love Man Love Woman doesn't really explain the complex Dao Mau theology; however, the film does offer a solid portrait of contemporary gay life in Vietnam. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Love Man Love Woman
(2007) 53 min. DVD: $80: public libraries; $200: colleges & universities. Frameline Distribution (tel: 415-703-8650, web: <a href="http://www.frameline.org/">www.frameline.org</a>). PPR. July 21, 2008
Love Man Love Woman
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